Bezzera Family Lever

[Cammie]

I picked up the Bezzera Family Lever that was offered for sale on HB a couple of weeks ago (I actually did a turn around trip to Northern California in one day to pick her up ).  I am very pleased that I made the decision to purchase this "Club"  style lever.  Thank you to those individuals who were helping me make this decision off-line.  The build quality of this machine is rather impressive.....heavy gauge stainless steel.

It came with the original portafilter, a single and a double basket:



The case, also heavy duty quality, was an orange-mustard color that had some cosmetic issues but no dents:



Here are a couple of side views:





A view of the back:



Front view:



The lever:



From the back:



The quality of the shots from this machine is pretty amazing.  The seller had stated that "This machine pulls amazing shots, sweet, aromatic, and with great mouth feel. This machine produces shots similar to a Cremina but seems easier to hit the sweet spot."  And his friend stated that he had "Hauled a bunch of various home roasts, mostly SO roasts purposed for pour over to his house to share and played around with this tank of a machine for 5 hours.....from the first shot till the last, this Bezzera equaled the best I've pulled from my Cremina and ever so slightly ahead of the Strega."

I agree with their assessments.  The machine is super stable and the shots rival those that I pull from my Cremina.  I had the machine dialed in within three shots.  Even the first two shots that I knew to be off, were very good.    I've left the machine on for hours and then pulled a shot with no temperature issues.  The seller indicated that he had, upon occasion, pulled over 20 successive shots with no temperature issues.

The group of this machine is not mounted directly to the boiler and is instead mounted to a faceplate that is backed by a thick steel plate. This separation keeps the group from overheating.   The seller also replaced the pressure stat with a CEME tight dead band model that keeps the pressure between 1.45 and 1.5. There are no issues with steaming.

I would highly recommend purchasing this machine if you ever see one in the Wild.  Here she is with her case now painted Bezzera Blue:

[SJM]

She's much better off in your hands than she would have been in mine.
That blue coat is gorgeous :-)))

Susan

[ronburleson]

Good choice on the blue. I'm glad she is in good hands.

[sosha]

She's much better off in your hands than she would have been in mine.
That blue coat is gorgeous :-)))

Susan

I'm with you on all counts, Susan.  Congrats, Cammie!

[SJM]

She's much better off in your hands than she would have been in mine.
That blue coat is gorgeous :-)))

Susan

I'm with you on all counts, Susan.  Congrats, Cammie!

I tried to buy it, but Cammie was one step ahead of me.
Susan

[BoldJava]

Sa-weet. That machine has the blues.

Cammie at the helm; levers reign.

[milowebailey]

I like the blue too.  How does it steam?

[Cammie]

Endless steaming power but it may take more finesse to froth milk depending on your methodology.  You have to use one hand to toggle and hold open the steam knob and it is through the pressing of the knob that you control the amount of steam (like opening the steam knob on other machines and turning it back and forth to control the degree of steam without the option of leaving it open to a particular degree).  Because the steam capability is so powerful, I think there will be a tendency for the milk to be steamed too quickly resulting in improper texture. So, a light consistent pressure on steam knob is needed during the process or perhaps finding a different steam tip might helpful as well. 

[peter]

Do you extend the pinky of the hand holding the pitcher to make contact with the bottom of the pitcher for temp measurement?

[beerANDmathematics]

Hi Cammie, we are in the same family now--Bezzera style!

Love the blue, I'm on the fence as to whether I'll repaint mine as I have way more paint chipped off. Anyways, this is my first post on this forum so I hope I don't step on anyone's toes as I figure it out.

[BoldJava]

... Anyways, this is my first post on this forum so I hope I don't step on anyone's toes as I figure it out.

Yo, welcome.  Just find someone with smaller feet and step on their toes.  I wear a 13D <grins>.

[SJM]

Glad to have Jorge here.
We share SAMAS too....

[farmroast]

 cammie, glad to hear you're enjoying the B-family. Geez 3 of us in the same thread